Champions League Quick Throw – Week 1

BPF’s Kevin Coleman has a quick look at each of this week’s Champions League games; as all English teams get off to a winning start, Rangers earn a draw in Germany and the Internazionale/Barcelona clash ends goalless.

Juventus 1-1 FC Girondins de Bordeaux – Jaroslav Plasil struck 15 minutes from time to give Bordeaux a hard earned point against Juventus after Vincenzo Iaquinta put the Italians in front on the hour mark.

Maccabi Haifa 0-3 Bayern München – A second half mauling from Bayern sealed three points in Tel-Aviv, defender Daneil van Buyten opened the scoring mid way through the second half before a Thomas Müller brace.

FC Zürich 2-5 Real Madrid CF – Cristiano Ronaldo opened the seven goal thriller with a superb free-kick on his debut, before Raul and Gonzalo Higuain made it 3-0 before half-time. Xavier Margairaz scored from the penalty spot and Silvan Aegerter added a second for Zürich a minute later, but two late strikes from Ronaldo and Guti sealed the win for Real Madrid.

Olympique de Marseille 1-2 AC Milan – Two trademark Filippo Inzaghi strikes were enough to overcome Milan’s old foes Marseille either side of a Gabriel Heinze header for the French side.

Chelsea FC 1-0 FC Porto – A Nicholas Anelka strike handed Chelsea the three points in a sluggish game against Porto. This was Chelsea’s first European game after the Barcelona defeat last year, and Didier Drogba’s infamous antics. Drogba was suspended for this game, but Anelka stepped up to smack a sweet strike after his first was blocked.

Club Atlético de Madrid 0-0 APOEL FC – A disciplined defensive display from APOEL earned the Cypriots an unexpected draw in Spain’s capital. Diego Forlan was amongst many of the chances for Atléticio, but APOEL stood firm to earn them a valuable point.

VfL Wolfsburg 3-1 PFC CSKA Moskva – A Grafite hat trick handed Wolfsburg all three points at home to CSKA to put them top of Manchester Utd’s group. His first half double gave the Germans a comfortable lead going in to half time as Dzagoev pulled one back for CSKA in the second, before Grafite completed his treble late on.

Beşiktaş JK 0-1 Manchester United – Paul Scholes’ 77th minute header got last year’s runners-up campaign off to a winning start in Istanbul. After hard work from the Turkish side, Scholes played on a strayed ball to nod it in past the helpless ‘keeper.

Liverpool FC 1-0 Debreceni VSC – Dirk Kuyt’s strike on the stroke of half time earned Liverpool a winning start in Group E. The English side enjoyed most of the possesion, and Kuyt pounced on a blocked Fernando Torres shot to hand Liverpool all three points.

Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 ACF Fiorentina – The Frenchmen got off to a winning start thanks to Miralem Pjanić’s late strike against ten men Fiorentina after Alberto Gilardino was dismissed for violent conduct.

FC Internazionale Milano 0-0 FC Barcelona – A disappointing goalless draw is all to report in the most hotly previewed tie of the week as the reigning champions dominated, but failed to capitalize on any chances.

FC Dynamo Kyiv 3-1 FC Rubin Kazan – Russian champions Rubin got off to a superb start thanks to Alejandro Domínguez’s free-kick, but a late showing from Kyiv turned the game around to give the Ukrainians the win with Yussuf (71), Magrão (79), and Gusev (85) on the scoresheet.

VfB Stuttgart 1-1 Rangers FC – Madjid Bougherra’s impressive attacking run earned the Scottish champions a hard fought draw against Stuttgart. The Germans took a deserved first half lead through Pavel Pogrebnyak, but a reinvigorated Rangers side came out fighting to earn a draw.

Olympiacos FC 1-0 AZ Alkmaar – Greek champions Olympiacos earned all three points thanks to a Temuri Ketsbaia header as new boss Zico looked on from the stands, having been appointing before kick-off. The game could’ve used his Brazilian flair, as it was defensively dominated.

R. Standard de Liège 2-3 Arsenal FC – An early double sent the Belgians into a comfortable lead after five minutes, Eliaquim Mangala finding the net with little more than a minute gone and Milan Jovanović following up with a spot-kick moments later. Nicklas Bendter pulled back a goal right on half time, and two late goals from Thomas Vermaelen and Eduardo denied Liège a win on their Champions League debut.